East China Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
geographical and cultural region of China
About East China
Until the 19th century,HangzhouandNanjingwere the great cities of this region; both have been the capital of China, Nanjing under several different regimes.Suzhouwas another important city, famous for its gardens, canals and silk.Quanzhouwas one of the greatest ports of theMaritime Silk Road. In the 19th century, China lost two "Opium Wars" to foreign powers, and was forced to open certainTreaty Portsto foreign trade in the treaties that ended those wars.Xiamen,NingboandShanghaiwere opened in the 1840s, after the first war; all developed very rapidly after that. Until then, Shanghai was not a particularly significant town, though it did enjoy a strategic position at the mouth of the great Yangtze River, but by the early 20th century Shanghai became one of the world's richest and wildest ci
East China Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 13 sections including: